Mason, TX - Texas Gun Instructor Draws Heat For Anti-Muslim Ad

In this Oct. 28, 2011, photo, Crockett Keller prepares his merchandise at a gun show at the fairgrounds in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/The San Antonio Express-News, Tom Reel)

Mason, TX - On a YouTube clip that has gone viral, brash Texas handgun instructor Crockett Keller defiantly tells Muslims and non-Christian Arabs he won’t teach them how to handle a firearm.

State officials see the ad as possible discrimination, and may revoke Keller’s instructor license.

Tens of thousands of YouTube viewers have watched the $175 ad for Keller’s business in the small community of Mason, which has won him a handful of admirers but that embarrassed locals say misrepresents their community. Muslim groups dismissed the 65-year-old as a bigot.

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Among the couple of thousand residents in the Central Texas town, Keller has other reputations.

“He’s a character and likes attention,” said Diane Eames, a jeweler with a downtown shop in Mason’s quaint town square.

Keller has received plenty of attention since his radio spot on a rural country music station in Mason County, about 100 miles west of Austin, went viral on the Internet. Keller said he whipped up the script on his iPad in 10 minutes. The ad quit airing last week.

“If you are a socialist liberal and/or voted for the current campaigner-in-chief, please do not take this class,” Keller says in the ad’s closing seconds, also taking a swipe at President Barack Obama. “You’ve already proven that you cannot make a knowledgeable and prudent decision as required under the law. Also, if you are a non-Christian Arab or Muslim, I will not teach you this class. Once again, with no shame, I am Crockett Keller.”

The Texas Council on American-Islamic Relations called the ad ugly rhetoric undeserving of media attention. Others have called Keller’s phone number from the ad to personally tell him worse, including alleged death threats.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is now investigating whether to revoke or suspend Keller’s license to teach concealed handgun courses.

“Conduct by an instructor that denied service to individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion would place that instructor’s certification by the Department at risk of suspension or revocation,” the department said in a statement.

Inside a remote highway cabin on the edge of the Llano River, where a draped, full-size cannon is parked across from his desk, Keller said he was inspired to make the ad after being “flabbergasted” by a couple neighbors who left the state to campaign for Obama. As for refusing to teach Muslims, Keller described that as an afterthought tacked onto the spot, which he couldn’t remember but said was likely generated from something in the news.

“I got to thinking, ‘Hmm, I’m arming the enemy,’” Keller said.

Of course, even Keller knows that Muslims were unlikely to show up at his door asking to take his $100 course.

Mason County, as Eames described it, is “white bread” — the population was 93 percent Caucasian in the latest census, and all Republican statewide candidates won with at least 70 percent of the vote in 2010. Keller said he wasn’t aware of any Muslims in Mason County, nor could a handful of locals name one.

Eames and Joyce Arnold, a real estate agent, said they worried about the radio spot embarrassing the city. Eames ran what she described as a successful sex-toy business in Mason before opening the jewelry store, and Scott Haupert, co-owner of the Sandstone Cellars Winery, said Mason is more tolerant than Keller’s comments would suggest.

“I voted for Obama and I’ll vote for Obama again,” said Haupert, an avowed Democrat. “If I signed up to take his gun control class, he would not reject me.”

But Keller has also won over some fans. As he spoke with a reporter in his cabin, rancher Clyde McCarley knocked on his door and asked about signing up for a class.

“It’s mighty dadgum interesting to me that some people can say anything they want, and you make a statement and they bring down the house on you,” McCarley said.

Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Texas Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the group is watching how the state responds to Keller’s ad and whether the agency revokes his instructor license.

“We try not to give too much credibility to some of these people who do outlandish things,” Carroll said. “But there are some issues that we do have to address.”

2

Nov 01, 2011 at 07:43 PMAnon Ibid Opcit Says:

He has the right to run his private business the way he wants. But the CCW portion of it is regulated by the State of Texas. They have not only the power but the duty to deny certification to someone who discriminates on the basis of religion or place of national origin. He does, so his certification needs to be pulled.

9

Nov 01, 2011 at 09:22 PMAnonymous Says:

“
Yasher koach. A little eccentric but he says what is onhis mind. More people should be honest ”

As much as I knew these kinds of ridiculous comments were coming, I couldn't help groaning when I saw it. Do you people have any sense of irony at all? 1939 wasn't that long ago. Ah forget it I give up. So many of you lack any semblance of critical thinking skills or brains.

12

Nov 01, 2011 at 09:52 PMPaulie123 Says:

“
Yasher koach. A little eccentric but he says what is onhis mind. More people should be honest ”

Dicrimination is discrimination no matter who its against. I wish some of us would realize that bigots come in all shapes and sizes and it could very well be against Jews as well. So keep your mouth shut

13

Nov 01, 2011 at 10:20 PMAnonymous Says:

“
Yasher koach. A little eccentric but he says what is onhis mind. More people should be honest ”

I'll take your advice and be honest. I'm going to rename my port-a-john business as "Dump on Avrohmk". Its a bit eccentric but it should help my sales, espcially among your chevrah. Yidden should be the last group to condone blatantly racist behavior.

17

Nov 01, 2011 at 10:37 PMyochtzel Says:

“
Well... it's a private business, so he can run it into the ground with his racist nonsense if he wants to!

I cannot fathom how anyone would willingly purchase merchandise from this man.

Unreal. ”

Maybe you can explain to me why "you can not fathom"??? I cant fathom why some one in his right mind here in the USA "would" teach a muslim how to shoot a gun!!! and if you cant understand why i say this, than maybe you are from those of the first part of the add!!!

18

Nov 01, 2011 at 10:42 PMyochtzel Says:

“
Substitute the word "Jew" for "Arab" in his ads and you would be the first crying "antisemitism". Well, this man IS an antisemite because Arabs are semites, just as Jews are. ”

Jews dont shoot up places and dont bomb place...... Substitute "I wont teach you" for "I would teach you" and he's no antisemite, now Substitute "Obama" for "Regan" and we dont have a recession, now Substitute "meat" for "milk" and its not dairy... in other words he didnt say jew he said muslim... if you start Substituting 1 word for an other word than every 1 is a antisemite or is nuts and crazy!!!

22

Nov 02, 2011 at 05:41 AMSherryTheNoahide Says:

“
Maybe you can explain to me why "you can not fathom"??? I cant fathom why some one in his right mind here in the USA "would" teach a muslim how to shoot a gun!!! and if you cant understand why i say this, than maybe you are from those of the first part of the add!!! ”

"... if you cant understand why i say this, than maybe you are from those of the first part of the ad!"

No my friend... I have ZERO Arab blood in me, as far as I know! (lol)

My "people" (if you will), are from European countries... and others from African ones. (I'm bi-racial) Both are grounded in x-tian culture. Nothing Muslim here!

But....

What difference does that make?!?! I'm having a REALLY hard time understanding your reasonings here!

What if my ancestry *was* from Muslim & Arabic peoples.... but I gave up the Muslim nonsense, and decided to be a Noahide?! Just like I am doing right now! Gave up the Koran.... embraced the Torah! Then what?!?!

Would you STILL have accusations & suspicions against me?!

MUST people convert to Judaism, or abandon any traces of their culture, in order to be "acceptable" to you??

I guess I'm still confused as to where in the WORLD you are coming from!

But all I know is this: after what your people have gone through over generations & generations of time...

To see a Jewish soul be so hostile towards somebody they don't even know... simply on the *suspicions* that I might not be "one of you"... is very sad indeed.

24

Nov 02, 2011 at 11:44 AMSherryTheNoahide Says:

“
#22 either you living in a cave or you dont understand the underlying issues...see posters with a little common sense ”

Of course I understand the underlying issues! But come on!

You really think you've got grounds to DEFEND this man?!

What if your child owned a business... on the 1st day of his\her business, he\she hangs a sign on the door saying "No Muslims Allowed".

You might think GREAT! Right...??

But what an EMBARRASSMENT that you raised a child to behave like that in public... or AT ALL!

*shaking my head* It's unreal what excuses people will make for stuff like this.

I'm bi-racial.... don't even get me STARTED on racism, ok? Us African Americans have had to put up with all sorts of stuff, not just from our neighbors & etc, but also from our own government! And G-d forbid one of us commit a crime.... then we ALL get painted that way!

Most Rabbis I know would consider this guy to be quite wicked & full of a lot of hatred! From what I understand.... if you hate a person JUST BECAUSE of their color, culture, etc....

It's the SAME THING as saying you hate HaShem! He's the one who MADE all of us- in HIS image!

Remember the story of Rabbi Eleazar?! (The Rashbi's son) He made that comment about how ugly somebody was... and you know what that person said?

25

Nov 02, 2011 at 12:00 PMZIPcode10010 Says:

“
"... if you cant understand why i say this, than maybe you are from those of the first part of the ad!"

No my friend... I have ZERO Arab blood in me, as far as I know! (lol)

My "people" (if you will), are from European countries... and others from African ones. (I'm bi-racial) Both are grounded in x-tian culture. Nothing Muslim here!

But....

What difference does that make?!?! I'm having a REALLY hard time understanding your reasonings here!

What if my ancestry *was* from Muslim & Arabic peoples.... but I gave up the Muslim nonsense, and decided to be a Noahide?! Just like I am doing right now! Gave up the Koran.... embraced the Torah! Then what?!?!

Would you STILL have accusations & suspicions against me?!

MUST people convert to Judaism, or abandon any traces of their culture, in order to be "acceptable" to you??

I guess I'm still confused as to where in the WORLD you are coming from!

But all I know is this: after what your people have gone through over generations & generations of time...

To see a Jewish soul be so hostile towards somebody they don't even know... simply on the *suspicions* that I might not be "one of you"... is very sad indeed. ”

***"No my friend... I have ZERO Arab blood in me, as far as I know! (lol)

Everything is one big for this woman."

***"MUST people convert to Judaism, or abandon any traces of their culture, in order to be "acceptable" to you??"

27

Nov 02, 2011 at 03:11 PMyochtzel Says:

“
"... if you cant understand why i say this, than maybe you are from those of the first part of the ad!"

No my friend... I have ZERO Arab blood in me, as far as I know! (lol)

My "people" (if you will), are from European countries... and others from African ones. (I'm bi-racial) Both are grounded in x-tian culture. Nothing Muslim here!

But....

What difference does that make?!?! I'm having a REALLY hard time understanding your reasonings here!

What if my ancestry *was* from Muslim & Arabic peoples.... but I gave up the Muslim nonsense, and decided to be a Noahide?! Just like I am doing right now! Gave up the Koran.... embraced the Torah! Then what?!?!

Would you STILL have accusations & suspicions against me?!

MUST people convert to Judaism, or abandon any traces of their culture, in order to be "acceptable" to you??

I guess I'm still confused as to where in the WORLD you are coming from!

But all I know is this: after what your people have gone through over generations & generations of time...

To see a Jewish soul be so hostile towards somebody they don't even know... simply on the *suspicions* that I might not be "one of you"... is very sad indeed. ”

If you converted to Judaism than you are not Muslim. i said "Muslim" meaning some one that values and follows Muslim beliefs. But because i know what my people have gone through over generations & generations of time, I know not to want a Muslim to know how to shoot. i lost a family member in 9/11 because a muslim knew how to fly a plane. Now imagine what can happen when 1 of them know how to shoot? like for instance like that Muslim soldier that shot up Ft. Hood U.S. Army Base last year. REMEMBER???

30

Nov 02, 2011 at 07:54 PMELM Says:

“
So you would say the same thing if he would do it to Jews? Infantile hypocrite. ”

Difference is that Jews are hated by some for different reasons or really no reason at all.What would be his reason for adding Jews instead of Muslims to his statement? American's and Jews have good,legit reasons to feel the way they do towards radical Islam.